This year I turned 25. I’m starting to feel my age and worry about my future. I guess that’s a sign of ageing maturing. But it got me thinking – what are some things I want to accomplish over the next few years? I thought I might like to put it into a ‘bucket list’. And the best way to make sure I complete the list, is to set a time frame. So I’ve decided on 30 things I would like to do before I turn 30. In no particular order, here are the things I aim to achieve within the next 5 years.

1. Get my drivers licence: Yeah I know I should have had my licence for many years already… but it’s never been on the priority list. I moved out of home at 17, before I got the chance to get my licence. Then trying to pay for lessons and everything is quite expensive… 8 years later I still don’t have my licence. I know I’ll get it sooner or later, it’s just that it’s getting a bit ridiculous now.
2. Get married: Pretty much every girl wants their princess day…
3. Learn French: Unlike many people, I did not learn French in high school. But I’ve always wanted to learn and be able to speak French confidently.
4. Become admitted as a solicitor in the ACT: I may as well, considering I graduated from my law degree last year. So this is the natural progression…
5. Go sky diving: I have always wanted to do this. I’m hella scared of heights but for some reason I want to jump out of a plane…
6. See the Great Barrier Reef: I hope I get to see it before it gets destroyed by litter and garbage.
7. Climb the Eiffel Tower: Last time I went to Paris I didn’t get to do this, so I’ve got 2 more chances this year to complete this task 🙂
8. Run a half marathon: I used to do lots of fun runs and be quite fit. I really want to get back to that level of fitness again and start running in fun runs on a regular basis. I want to build myself up to a half marathon, and then maybe a full marathon if I am fit enough.
9. Purchase an investment property: I don’t care if it’s a small unit or a big house, but I want to purchase something as an investment and start my property portfolio. I definitely want to own property before I am 30, and I think aiming for an investment property is the right way to go.
10. Feed a tiger: I love how beautiful tigers are. It would be fantastic to feed one.
11. Volunteer for Life Line’s Telephone Crisis & Support Line: I know that you need to pay to be trained as a volunteer but it would be so worth it knowing that you could make such a difference in the life of someone who feels that they have nothing left. Even just being a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen to… I think it would be very rewarding.
12. Fly in a hot air balloon at sunrise: I think this would be so magical and an amazing experience.
13. Climb a volcano in a tropical location: I wanted to do this in Vanuatu but we didn’t get to do it. 😦 Hopefully, someday I’ll be able to say I’ve climbed a volcano.
14. Learn how to snorkel without freaking out: I tried to snorkel in Vanuatu but freaked out and hated it. I would like to actually learn so I can properly enjoy the beauty of the sea.
15. Ride in a gondola in Venice: Definitely been on the bucket list for some time.
16. Re-learn how to play piano and become much better at it: I learnt basic piano and how to play when I was younger and I would like to refresh my skills and become quite competent at playing the piano.
17. Learn how to knit: Even if it’s just baby booties, I would like to learn how to knit something.
18. Restore old furniture into something new: I love the idea of many DIY projects, but I have never fully completed one. I hope that one day I can take something old and up-cycle it into something new and beautiful.
19. Learn salsa dancing: I love the seductiveness of this dance. It would be great to learn how to dance properly.
20. Party in Ibiza: Well this has to be done before I’m 30. After all, I don’t want to be that 50 yr old in the club…
21. Volunteer in Cambodia: I’m booked in to do this at the end of this year. I’ve been planning this for the last 4 years, but things keep getting in the way. I’ve decided that I have to finally do it this year. Fingers crossed that everything goes to plan and I finally get over to Cambodia to volunteer.
22. Have a fully organised walk in wardrobe or wardrobe room: I have always dreamed of having an elaborate dressing/wardrobe room. It might involve some DIY and lots of time and effort, but the end result would be something ah-maze-zing!
23. Adopt a pet from a rescue or foster organisation: I definitely want to have lots of pets. I figure that there are so many pets that are abandoned or mistreated that it would be a great idea to adopt one so I can give the pet the life and love it deserves.
24. Ride an elephant in Thailand: I’ve always wanted to do this, but I don’t want to ride one that is mistreated for the purpose of tourists pleasure. That’s definitely not worth it. So I’ll only ride one that is treated respectfully and looked after.
25. Learn photography with my DSLR: I bought a DSLR camera because I love photography. But I still don’t know how to use it. I really, really want to learn so I can take great photos.
26. Grow and sustain a vegetable garden: I’ve never been much of a gardener, but I do enjoy cooking. I feel that growing a veggie garden will encourage me to garden more because I will need to sustain the garden in order to use the ingredients in my kitchen. And I would love to be like Jamie Oliver and just go outside to grab some fresh produce that I have grown myself in my own backyard 🙂
27. Ride a Junk boat in Vietnam: Another travel dream. No idea when or if this would happen but I’ve always wanted to do it.
28. Complete a first aid course and learn CPR: This is something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, and I think it’s best to put it onto my list to make sure I do it ASAP. After all, the skills I learn in this course could be used to save a life!
29. Host a family Christmas at my house: the inner housewife in me just loves the idea of cooking up a feast of food for a family Christmas. And I also love the idea of decorating the house and table in some fabulous Christmas decorations that I’ve made myself. Yes, I’m a bit of a 50s housewife wannabe, but this kind of situation has never been feasible for me before. Now that I’m older I will have the space (and skills, and patience) to do something like this. I would just love to do this for my family.
30. Donate blood: I seem to pass out and get nauseous at the sight of needles. I have no idea why. I never thought I was scared, but after an injection I fainted out the front of the doctors surgery, and ever since the idea of needles or giving blood makes me freak out. I want to get over this fear and donate blood because I know how important it is to do this.

That’s a pretty comprehensive list up there… There’s lots of skills I would like to acquire, places I would like to travel and some personal achievements that are close to my heart.

Now that I really started thinking about it, there’s a lot of things I want to do. So I’m going to add some more to my bucket list:

1. Sail around the Greek Islands
2. Go to Disneyland (Hong Kong or Euro-Disneyland are also acceptable)
3. Write a cook book
4. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
5. Climb up Uluru
6. Visit Stonehenge
7. Have a family overseas holiday
8. Drive along the Great Ocean Road
9. Take a ride in a helicopter
10. Go to full moon party in Thailand
11. Stay in a wooden bungalow hut over the sea in a luxury resort
12. Write an article for another blog
13. Stroke a lion
14. Swim with dolphins
15. Have a white Christmas
16. Go on a road trip with a mini camper van
17. Trek the Inca Trail
18. Go zorbing in Rotorua, New Zealand
19. Drink French wine in France
20. Travel from the American East Coast to West Coast
21. Teach someone one of the skills I have learnt
22. Volunteer in Thailand
23. Stay a night in a castle
24. Ride a camel through the desert
25. Attend a soccer game in Spain
26. Attend a baseball game in USA
27. Visit Pompeii
28. See the Grand Canyon
29. Brush up on my Italian and be able to hold a conversation with someone
30. Visit Angkor Wat

Ok so lets stop it at an extra 30. I know I’ll be able to do some of these this year, hence why I didn’t add them to the 30 before 30 list. I wanted the 30 before 30 to still be a bit of a challenge. But those things that I will probably do this year are still on my ‘bucket list’, so I thought that I should add them onto the second list.

I will see what else I can cross off the bucket list within the next 5 years…

Stay tuned for more